The French Senate on Tuesday approved a tough version of the government’s immigration law. 210 votes for and 115 against. on the left, which is creating a deep political divide in the country, which will now have to pass the filter of the National Assembly.

The traditional French right, which constitutes the majority in the upper house, imposed its criteria on Macronist deputies and succeeded in suppressing government health care for illegal immigrantsand access to subsidies has been tightened and provisions relating to regularization.

Except, Expulsion rules have been simplifiedthe right to asylum was reformed and conditions were set for the issuance of residence permits and family reunification.

These were concessions that the government had to make to implement the law, but they caused great dissatisfaction in the most progressive wing of President Emmanuel Macron’s party, which is now hoping to return to the original principles of its reform when drafting the law. law in the National Assemblywhich starts on December 11th.

Only, although the traditional right has a majority in the Senate, in the lower house Macron’s party, which has the largest number of deputies, also does not have an absolute majority, which forces it to negotiate.

Complex balances

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who is defending reform, will have to find new balance with rightbut also with the very left wing of his party to promote the law.

Several Macronist MPs have already warned that they oppose many of the concessions granted to the right in the Senate, which predicts difficult parliamentary compromise.

Because the representative of the Conservative MPs, Olivier Marlethas already announced its intention “continue to tighten” the law, even with the “constitutional changes” in impose national legislation on European legislation and “protect yourself from the jurisprudence” of local courts.

The main warhorses will be medical care for illegal immigrants who macronists They also consider it necessary that traditional law is unwilling to cede, or the legalization of foreigners working in sectors where there is a labor shortage.

It was one of Darmanin’s star proposals, but the right managed to tighten it up in the Senate.

Conservatives, very weakened electorally and came under pressure from the far rightare using immigration law to regain public prominence.

They have cast themselves as champions of the fight against illegal immigration, taking measures such as tightening the deportation of foreigners convicted of serious crimes, an issue on which the far right has been able to capitalize.

Another measure was asylum reformseeking to speed up and tighten requirements, as well as making residence permits conditional on the adoption of the country’s legal norms.

Call restriction “land rights”which allows the children of foreigners born in France to obtain citizenship at the age of 18 or limit family reunification for what it will be You need to live 24 months, not 18, as before.other measures introduced by the Conservatives.

voices on the right will again be crucial in the National Assembly, so that the government is not forced to pass legislation without a parliamentary vote, which would open the door to new vote of censureas happened last year with the pension reform.